Mr. Pran Kirtani – President
Pran is a licensed professional engineer in Ontario and is working with National Compressed Air Canada as their Director of Sales. He has a Bachelor’s degree in Mechanical Engineering with additional qualifications in Management and IT. Born in India, he has travelled widely around the world and has an impeccable professional record. With his knowledge and expertise, he has been helping his clients and partners in all corners of the globe for over two decades. In addition to his outstanding professional achievements, he also takes special interest in music, poetry and movie making. Collaborating with other passionate local artists, he has been involved in creating thought provoking music and videos in the Hindi language. Pran is a resident of Mississauga since 2005 where he lives with his wife Reema, son Mayank and daughter Sakshi. Pran became President in his last year and according to the By-Laws, this extension of one year is permitted and this is why he is on the slate of candidates.
Mr. Craig Ross – Vice President
Craig is a partner with Pallett Valo LLP and is the practice group head of the firm’s Wills, Estates & Trusts Practice. Craig’s expertise has been consistently recognized by the Best Lawyers in Canada and Lexpert Professional Directories.
Craig has significant experience assisting families with children who have disabilities. In addition to the Board, Craig sits on the Rights Review Committee. Craig is also a regular speaker and writer on subjects of estate planning and planning for beneficiaries who have a disability. This is Craig’s second term on the Board of Directors.
Mr. Greg Symons – Vice President
Greg’s involvement with Community Living Mississauga began in 2000 when he was awarded the mandate to manage the Community Living Mississauga Foundation investment portfolio. As a Director and Portfolio Manager for ScotiaMcLeod, Greg specializes in designing and implementing strategies to enhance and sustain their client’s financial future. This includes developing cohesive total financial solutions which include financial planning, estate planning and insurance risk analysis.
Greg’s interest in Community Living Mississauga expanded over the years and he has committed a great deal of his time as a volunteer with Community Living Mississauga chairing the Annual Golf Classic and also serves on the organization’s Annual Tribute Dinner Committee. Greg and his children, Michael and Gillian, have been residents of Mississauga since 1982. This is Greg’s second term on the Board of Directors.
Mr. Kevin Porter – Treasurer
Kevin earned his Canadian Institute of Chartered Professional Accountant (CPA Canada), CA designation in 1986 and opened his own full-time practice as a Chartered Professional Accountant in 1993. With a primary focus on companies that are privately held and owner/managed, Kevin provides a full range of accounting and assurance services as well as corporate and personal tax and planning services. Kevin has also served as an instructor for The Institute of Chartered Accountants of Ontario (now Chartered Professional Accountants of Ontario) and has served as both an instructor and technical case reviewer for the School of Accountancy. Kevin continues to give back to the community in a variety of capacities. This will be Kevin’s second term on the Board of Directors.
Ms. Jessica Portelance – Secretary
Jessica was born in Etobicoke and has resided in Mississauga her entire life. She attended West Credit Secondary School. During the summer she participated in a Teen Activity Program offered by Community Living Mississauga. It was an experience which resulted in a greater appreciation of the role the organization plays in the Mississauga community.
Jessica went on to Humber College where she successfully completed a (CICE) Community Integration Cooperative Education course Jessica has been a part-time employee at Starbucks for the past nine years. Jessica currently sits on the Rights Committee and is proud to represent her peers. Maintaining a busy lifestyle, she enjoys spending time with family and particularly likes travel. Jessica is very creative and loves to share her artwork with family and friends. Jessica is looking forward to serving her first term on the Board of Directors.
Mrs. Laura Sluce – Past President
Laura is a Chartered Professional Accountant with significant experience in public accounting. Laura is a Partner at Ernst & Young LLP, where she specializes in providing professional services to a wide variety of public, private and not-for-profit organizations.
Laura joined the Board of Directors in 2015 and most recently served as Vice-President prior to being appointed President in 2022. Laura also volunteers for Community Living Mississauga as a member of the Quality Management Committee. A resident of Mississauga since 2009, she and her husband, Victor, have two sons, Aidan and Patrick.
Mr. Paul Brum
As a lifelong resident of Mississauga, Paul has taken every opportunity to engage in his community. He enjoys new experiences, particularly meeting others through personal interests such as church activities, volunteering, cooking, barbecuing, bike riding, working out and spending time with family and friends. To enhance his passion for cooking, Paul attended Mohawk College in Hamilton and Humber College in Toronto. Paul is now employed in the warehousing industry. Paul is a committed advocate for inclusion of all people and has been involved in public speaking opportunities. This is Paul’s second term on the Board of Directors.
Ms. Heather Cassells
Heather is a partner with Kain Family Law LLP in Mississauga. Heather has practiced exclusively in the area of family law for over 10 years, and has extensive experience representing clients at the Ontario Court of Justice, Superior Court of Justice, and in alternative dispute processes such as mediation and arbitration. Heather works closely with her clients to advise them on a wide variety of family law matters, including high conflict parenting matters as well as complex property and support issues. Heather resides in Toronto with her husband, her son, and their two dogs. She is looking forward to the opportunity to give back to the Mississauga community. This is Heather’s first term on the Board of Directors.
Mr. Shawn Dunn
Shawn Dunn currently works full-time in Mississauga as the Chief Financial Officer (CFO) for a group of private companies. In this role he is responsible for working with the President and the Board of Directors and for all strategic planning, accounting and control, insurance, banking, human resources, legal, and real estate activity. Shawn graduated with an HBA in Business Administration from The University of Western Ontario and is a Certified General Accountant (CPA, CGA). He has worked at Dean Foods, PepsiCo/The Pepsi Bottling Group, Labatt Breweries, and McKinsey & Company. This work led Shawn and his wife to live in cities across Canada and the USA, as well as in England, Russia, and Mexico. Shawn grew up in Mississauga and now lives in Toronto. His two brothers have received support from Community Living Mississauga for many years. This is Shawn’s first term on the Board of Directors.
Ms. Hillarie Klass
Hillarie Klass is an occupational health and safety professional with extensive experience in Government, Education, Health and Community Care. She has worked with private and public sector organizations with a focus on industrial hygiene and accident prevention. She believes in giving back to the community through her volunteer activities and has served on the Board of Directors of many of these organizations. This is Hillarie’s first term on the Board of Directors.
Ms. Fauzia Reza
Fauzia Reza is a former educator with significant teaching experience at the school, college and university levels. She was a Chevening Scholar at the University College London where she earned her Master’s Degree in Educational Management. Fauzia has been volunteering with Autism Ontario since 2012. She was a member of the Peel District School Board’s Special Education Advisory Committee (SEAC) from 2014 to 2023. She also served as the Vice Chair of SEAC. Currently, Fauzia is a member of the Peel Autism Collaborative. Fauzia has been a resident of Mississauga since 2005. She and her husband, Ahmed, have two sons: Moazzam and Solaiman. This is Fauzia’s first term on the Board of Directors.
Ms. Candice Roberts
Candice Roberts has lived in the Meadowvale area of Mississauga for the past 49 years. Candice previously served on the Board of Directors and comes with a wealth of knowledge and experience. She continues to volunteer with the Rewards and Recognition Committee. Candice is a true champion and advocate for the rights of people who have an intellectual disability and is committed to contributing to future initiatives. Candice enjoys going to the therapeutic pool, walking, hanging out with friends, crafting and maintaining a healthy lifestyle. Candice is looking forward to her first term on the Board of Directors.
Mr. Andrew Thompson
Andrew Thompson is a self-advocate who has been involved with Community Living Mississauga in the past in a variety of capacities. He was formerly a member of the Quality Management Committee and the Board Support Committee. Andrew has volunteered at Youth Involvement Mississauga, at one of the Day Support locations and has done numerous speaking engagements on behalf of Community Living Mississauga. Andrew has lived in Mississauga with his family for the past 40 years. He is currently employed by FedEx Canada where he works full time. Andrew is an avid golfer, enjoys baseball and soccer. Andrew is looking forward to his first term on the Board of Directors.
Mr. Bernie Torchia
Bernie Torchia, a lifelong resident of Mississauga, has been part of the community long before the city had its name. He is the proud father of three daughters and grandfather to two little boys. His entire career was spent in the construction operations field helping to create and build communities across Mississauga and beyond. He recently retired as the Senior VP of Construction Operations Mattamy Urban (highrise) Division. His true passion is people, especially mentoring young individuals just starting out in their careers. His skill sets will be an asset to our Board of Directors. This will be Bernie’s first term on the Board of Directors.